KR102260439B1 - Stack type thermoelectric generation device using waste heat - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stack type thermoelectric power generation device using waste heat, so that electricity can be produced more effectively by using the waste heat as a renewable energy source. The device of the present invention includes: a pair of thermoelectric power modules in which a plurality of thermoelectric elements which produce electricity by turning a temperature difference into a potential difference are arranged in a plate shape, and are spaced apart from each other to face a heating surface; a heat exchanger installed between the pair of thermoelectric power modules to be in contact with the heating surface of each thermoelectric power module, and to be made up of a plurality of cooling fins so that the hot air of waste heat passes through and contacts the thermoelectric power module; and a plate-shaped cooling plate being in close contact with a cooling surface of the thermoelectric power module and having an internal flow path through which cooling water flows to cool the thermoelectric power module.

Description

Stack type thermoelectric power generation device using waste heat {STACK TYPE THERMOELECTRIC GENERATION DEVICE USING WASTE HEAT}

The present invention relates to a power generation device, and more particularly, to a stack type thermoelectric power generation device capable of producing electricity more effectively by using wasted heat as a renewable energy source.

A commonly used power generation device converts mechanical energy into electrical energy by burning fuel energy or generating steam with energy obtained by splitting nuclear energy to turn a turbine.

However, such a power generation device emits combustion gases into the atmosphere and there is a risk of accidents due to radioactive waste.

As of 2019, as the population increases and industry develops, the demand for fossil fuels has increased, but problems such as resource depletion and environmental pollution are emerging. In response, the obligation to reduce greenhouse gas by 2030 was made visible by implementing the energy greenhouse gas target management system. The government has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 37% compared to BAU by 2030, and accordingly, it is necessary to respond to climate change. Existing new and renewable energy sources have irregular and variable energy production depending on time of day and weather.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new level of power generation device that uses renewable energy sources without being affected by the time zone or weather.

Korea Patent Publication No. 2019-0026455 (2019.03.13)

Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed to solve the problems of the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a stack-type thermoelectric generator capable of producing electricity more effectively by using wasted heat as a renewable energy source. there is

In order to achieve the above object, a stack-type thermoelectric power generation device according to the technical idea of the present invention is formed in a plate shape by arranging a plurality of thermoelectric elements that produce electricity by turning a temperature difference into a potential difference, and spaced apart from each other with heating surfaces facing each other A pair of thermoelectric power modules arranged with a; a heat exchanger installed between the pair of thermoelectric power modules, in contact with the heating surface of each thermoelectric power module, and comprising a plurality of cooling fins so that high-temperature hot air due to waste heat passes through and contacts the thermoelectric power module to heat the thermoelectric power module; It is characterized in that it includes a; plate-shaped cooling plate in close contact with the cooling surface of the thermoelectric power module, each having an internal flow path through which the cooling water flows to cool the thermoelectric power module.

Here, the thermoelectric power module, the heat exchanger, and the cooling plate may be formed in a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape having areas corresponding to each other so as to face each other and stack.

In addition, the cooling plate may be characterized in that an inlet through which the cooling water is introduced and an outlet through which the cooling water is discharged are formed at opposite diagonal corners, respectively, and the inner flow path is formed in a meandering and curved shape.

In addition, on the non-contact surface located opposite to the contact surface in contact with the thermoelectric power module in the cooling plate, a temperature sensor is further installed to detect a temperature change according to the coolant flow at a predetermined interval from the coolant inlet to the outlet. It may be characterized in that it is possible to calculate the cooling efficiency according to the

In addition, in the non-contact surface located opposite to the contact surface in contact with the thermoelectric power module in the cooling plate, magnets are respectively installed at the corners in a diagonal direction to stack the stack-type thermoelectric generator to build a larger-scale system. It may be characterized in that lamination can be made.

In addition, in the non-contact surface located opposite to the contact surface in contact with the thermoelectric power module in the cooling plate, a vibrator is installed at the other diagonal corners where the magnet is not installed, respectively, so that the cleaning solution is injected into the inner passage for washing. It may be characterized in that it is possible to excite foreign substances by vibration.

On the other hand, the thermoelectric power generation system according to the present invention is characterized in its technical configuration to enable power generation on a larger scale by stacking stack type thermoelectric power generation devices.

The stack-type thermoelectric power generation device according to the present invention can produce electricity more effectively regardless of weather or time by using the waste heat generated in the boiler room as a renewable energy source rather than simply consuming it.

In addition, the present invention is configured to be very simple and easy to adjust the size so that it can be installed anywhere where waste heat is generated while adjusting the size according to the usage environment to produce electricity.

In addition, the present invention has the advantage of being able to simply build a larger-scale thermoelectric power generation system by stacking several. In addition, the scale can be expanded by simply connecting as needed in the form of serial connection or parallel connection.

1 is a perspective view of a stack type thermoelectric generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a side view of a stack type thermoelectric generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric power module in a stack type thermoelectric power generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an internal flow path of a cooling plate in a stack type thermoelectric generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a front view of a thermoelectric power generation system configured by stacking a stack type thermoelectric power generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

A stack type thermoelectric power generation device according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Since the present invention can have various changes and can have various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed form, it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In describing each figure, like reference numerals have been used for like elements. In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of the structures are enlarged than actual for clarity of the present invention, or shown reduced from reality in order to understand the schematic configuration.

Also, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component. Meanwhile, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. does not

<Example>

1 is a perspective view of a stack type thermoelectric generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of a stack type thermoelectric generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a stack type according to an embodiment of the present invention It is a cross-sectional view of the thermoelectric power module in the thermoelectric power generation device, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the internal flow path of the cooling plate in the stack type thermoelectric power generating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. And FIG. 5 is a front view of a thermoelectric power generation system configured by stacking a stack type thermoelectric power generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the stack type thermoelectric power generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention consists of a pair of thermoelectric power modules 110 , a heat exchanger 120 , and a pair of cooling plates 130 as main components. , it is configured to produce electricity more effectively by using the waste heat discarded through these major components as a renewable energy source.

Hereinafter, a stack type thermoelectric power generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to each of the above components.

The thermoelectric power module 110 has a plurality of thermoelectric elements 112 that produce electricity by turning a temperature difference into a potential difference are arranged horizontally side by side on a substrate 111 to form a plate as a whole, and one surface is a heating surface that receives heat. It consists of a cooling surface to be cooled so that power can be generated by the temperature difference between the heating surface and the cooling surface. Since the configuration or principle of the power generation of the thermoelectric power module 110 is already known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The heat exchanger 120 is installed between a pair of thermoelectric power modules 110 to be in contact with the heating surface of each thermoelectric power module 110, and a plurality of heat exchangers 120 are in contact with the hot air H due to waste heat passing through. It consists of cooling fins. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the heat exchanger 120 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape having areas corresponding to each other so as to be stacked face to face with the thermoelectric power module 110 and the cooling plate 130 . The heat exchanger 120 effectively transfers the heat h1 obtained while in contact with the high-temperature hot air H due to waste heat with a sufficient surface area to the thermoelectric power module 110 .

The cooling plate 130 serves to cool the cooling surface of the thermoelectric power module 110 , and is installed to be in close contact with the cooling surface of the thermoelectric power module 110 , and the cooling water W1 flows therein. An internal flow path is formed. Here, in the cooling plate 130, the cooling water inlet 131a and the outlet 131b are formed at opposite diagonal corners, respectively, as shown in FIG. 3 in order to secure a spare time for the cooling water W1 to pass through the internal flow path. The internal flow path is formed in a meandering and curved shape. Also in the case of the cooling plate 130 , like the heat exchanger 120 , it is formed in a flat plate-shaped rectangular parallelepiped shape having areas corresponding to each other so as to face and stack the thermoelectric power module 110 . The material of the cooling plate 130 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or copper, so that heat exchange between the cooling water W1 and the thermoelectric power module 110 can be effectively made.

On the other hand, in the stack-type thermoelectric power generation device according to the embodiment of the present invention, temperature sensors 160a, 160b, 160c, 160d, 160e, magnet 140 and vibration module 150 for convenient maintenance while effectively performing thermoelectric power generation. This is more installed.

The sexual temperature sensors 160a, 160b, 160c, 160d, and 160e are located on the non-contact surface located opposite to the contact surface in contact with the thermoelectric power module 110 in the cooling plate 130 as shown in FIG. 1 at the coolant inlet 131a. It is installed at regular intervals up to the outlet (131b). Accordingly, the temperature sensors 160a, 160b, 160c, 160d, and 160e can sense a temperature change according to the flow of the cooling water W1 in the cooling plate 130 in real time. As such, when a plurality of temperature sensors 160a, 160b, 160c, 160d, and 160e are installed, the cooling efficiency according to the cooling water W1 can be calculated and the device can be operated more efficiently. For example, when the temperature difference sequentially sensed by the temperature sensors 160a, 160b, 160c, 160d, and 160e is large, it indicates that the heat exchange between the cooling water W1 and the thermoelectric power module 110 is effectively performed, and the relatively temperature When the difference between ' is small, it can be said that the heat exchange is not being performed effectively.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the magnet 140 is installed in the form of a coin on a non-contact surface located opposite to the contact surface in contact with the thermoelectric power module 110 in the cooling plate 130 at a corner in a diagonal direction, respectively. When such a magnet 140 is installed, as shown in FIG. 5, stacked thermoelectric generators are stacked to induce easy in-situ stacking when building a larger-scale system.

The vibration module 150 is composed of a vibrator 151 and a cover 152 that protects while enclosing the vibrator 151, and the thermoelectric power module 110 in the cooling plate 130 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 . ) is installed on the non-contact surface located on the opposite side of the contact surface, and is installed on the other diagonal corner where the magnet 140 is not installed. Such a vibration module 150 makes it easy to clean while raising foreign substances deposited in the internal flow path by vibration when washing by injecting a cleaning solution into the internal flow path.

The stack-type thermoelectric power generation device described above is installed alone near a boiler that emits a large amount of waste heat to generate power, or several are installed in a stacked form as shown in FIG. 5 to enable power generation on a larger scale. At this time, a blowing fan capable of blowing waste heat to the heat exchanger in the form of hot air, and cooling water supply facilities for supplying cooling water to the cooling plate 130 may be additionally installed.

In addition, since the stack-type thermoelectric power generation device has a very simple shape in the form of a rectangular box as a whole, it is possible to construct an expanded thermoelectric power generation system so that it can be generated on a larger scale by simply connecting it in series and/or parallel connection. may be

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various changes, modifications and equivalents may be used in the present invention. It is clear that the present invention can be equally applied by appropriately modifying the above embodiments. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the limits of the following claims.

110: thermoelectric power module 120: heat exchanger
130: cooling plate 140: magnet
150: vibration module 160a, 160b, 160c, 160d, 160e: temperature sensor

Claims (8)

A stack type thermoelectric power generation device, comprising: a pair of thermoelectric power modules in which a plurality of thermoelectric elements for generating electricity by turning a temperature difference into a potential difference are arranged in a plate shape, and disposed to face a heating surface and spaced apart from each other; a heat exchanger installed between the pair of thermoelectric power modules, in contact with the heating surface of each thermoelectric power module, and comprising a plurality of cooling fins so that high-temperature hot air due to waste heat passes through and contacts the thermoelectric power module to heat the thermoelectric power module; and a plate-shaped cooling plate in close contact with the cooling surface of the thermoelectric power module and having an internal flow path through which cooling water flows to cool the thermoelectric power module.
The thermoelectric power module, the heat exchanger, and the cooling plate are formed in a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape having areas corresponding to each other so as to face each other and stack,
The cooling plate has an inlet through which the cooling water is introduced and an outlet through which the cooling water is discharged are formed at opposite diagonal corners, respectively, and the inner flow path is meandering and curved, and on the opposite side of the contact surface in contact with the thermoelectric power module in the cooling plate. A temperature sensor is further installed on the non-contact surface to detect the temperature change according to the coolant flow at a predetermined interval from the coolant inlet to the outlet, so that the cooling efficiency according to the coolant can be calculated.
On the non-contact surface located opposite to the contact surface in contact with the thermoelectric power module in the cooling plate, magnets are respectively installed at the corners in a diagonal direction, so that the stack type thermoelectric generator is stacked to build a larger-scale system. to make it happen,
In the non-contact surface located opposite to the contact surface in contact with the thermoelectric power module in the cooling plate, vibrators are installed in the other diagonal corners where the magnet is not installed, respectively, and foreign substances deposited in the inner passage when cleaning by injecting a cleaning solution into the inner passage Stack-type thermoelectric power generation device, characterized in that it can be excited by vibration. delete delete delete delete delete A thermoelectric power generation system, characterized in that by stacking the stack type thermoelectric power generator of claim 1 to generate power on a larger scale. The thermoelectric power generation system, characterized in that the stack type thermoelectric power generation device of claim 1 is expanded to generate power on a larger scale by connecting it in series and parallel connections.

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